Northwest Sidetracks.

Soaring Spirits

Shop Owners Are Sky-high On Kites

August 22, 1993|By Mark Mandernach. Special to the Tribune.

If you're looking for some family-style recreation, Wilma Neiman suggests that you go fly a kite.

"Kite flying is a wonderful event for the whole family," said Neiman, who owns Chicago Kite Co. in downtown Palatine with her husband, Bob. "It's a great outdoor activity, filled with lots of fresh air, plus it doesn't pollute."

The Neimans opened their kite shop in February 1992, after selling kites out of the basement of their Barrington home for a few years. They got involved with kites during a 1989 vacation to Hawaii.

"I saw a four-line kite in a shop on one of the islands, and I debated whether to tell my husband," Neiman said. "Bob goes crazy over new hobbies. Well, I showed him the kite, and he was fascinated by it. Within a year, we had bought 25 kites. That's how we got started."

The Neimans do whatever they can to promote kite flying. Bob flies kites competitively with a six-person team, and Wilma conducts free learn-to-fly lessons at Busse Woods Forest Preserve in Schaumburg on Sunday mornings. They formed a spring and fall kite flying league at Busse Woods on Saturday mornings, and they sponsored the second annual "Chicago Sport Kite Festival" in June.

Chicago Kite Co. kites range in price from around $10 to more than $400, and they have more than 80 varieties.

Many of today's kites are more complex than the traditional single-line, diamond-shaped kites. But Neiman said prospective kite flyers should not be intimidated.

"We can tell people how to fly any kite, fill them in on everything they need to know," she said. "Some kites require a little more skill than others. And we can help with assembly and disassembly, things like that. Before you know it, you'll have that sense of control with your kite."